THE MAGAZINE OF BOTHWELL PARISH CHURCH ‘SCOTLAND’S OLDEST COLLEGIATE CHURCH’

Registered Scottish Charity No: SC0 9819

WINTER 2017– 2018

From the Minister P1, P2 Allovus News P2 Bothwell Guild P2 Society of Friends P2 Church Register P3 Organist Vacancy P3 Living the Questions P3 Statement of Purpose P3 Rota Page P4 RSCM Scottish Voices P5 Church Ceilidh P5 For Reflection P5 Remembrance Sunday P5 Christmastide Services P5 Sunday Club News P5 Church Dementia Café P6 Church of Scotland P6

Minister: The Revd. J. M. Gibson, TD.

The Manse of Bothwell, 4 Manse Avenue, Bothwell, G71 8PQ

Tel: 01698 853189. Email: jamesmgibson@msn.com

Church Office Tel: 01698 854903 (Tuesday — Friday 9am-1pm)

Email: bothwellparishoffice@btconnect.com

Church Website: www.bothwellparishchurch.org.uk

Church Centre: 854987 Chapterhouse Café: 858566

FROM THE MINISTER On the 31 October 1517 an unknown monk nailed a piece of paper on the outside of a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. It marked the beginning of the Reformation in Europe.

Since then, 500 years may have passed but could there be, in the mind of the British populous, a subliminal link between what happened then and the unexpected vote on Brexit ?

When Luther nailed his 95 theses to the doors of All Saints Church, he was targeting corruption at the highest levels of the Church. The principal of which was the selling of indulgences. In its day, this was a religious scam that sold forgiveness to those who could afford to pay and, worse, mainly to those who could not afford to pay but who were desperate and gullible.

It was the means by which an ecclesiastical gravy train could be financed. Particularly, building projects such as the rebuilding of St Peter’s in Rome.

Against the authority of the Roman Church, the small band of protestant Reformers asserted a higher moral authority: the word of God itself. Through the word the protesters claimed direct access to the Divine

bypassing the spiritual middle-management of the Vatican.

From Wittenberg, the Reformers’ protest would spread out across Europe eventually finding foothold in Scotland in 1560 and England thereafter. Everywhere, it was a railing against the elitest and centralizing philosophy of the Roman Church. And in such, I wonder, if we can find the intellectual roots of what is now termed, Euroscepticism.

Of course, it is easy to dismiss this theory as the would-be glorificiation of historical extremists ranting against the Pope as the antichrist. However, certainly in this magazine, no such nonsense is intended.

There can be no denying the injustices of that day. Blatant corruption ensured the poor were kept in their place while power was grabbed by those few who had the wealth and status to do so.

Research by the Goethe University has proved a considerably higher prevalence of Euroscepticism within

traditionally Protestant countries than in those that are traditionally Roman Catholic ones. Not really too surprising given that the whole thrust of the Reformers was largely a protest about being subject to external power.

Not long ago, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, said: “There is a long tradition in Catholicism of believing in holding things together. So the Catholic stance towards an effort such as the EU is largely supportive.”

Be that as it may, as Giles Fraser, formerly of St Paul’s Cathedral said

in a recent Thought for the Day, “In Protestant countries the EU can feel to many like some bureaucratic monster, a throw-back to the days of the Holy Roman Empire that, through the imposition of canon law, swallows up

Martin Luther tears up the Papal Bull excommunicating him from the Roman

Catholic Church. Original illustration from ‘Martin Luther’ published by the Open Court Publishing Company in 1897.

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From The Minister ….

difference and seeks doctrinal unity and uniformity.”

This was precisely the sort of power grab and centralization that Martin Luther and the religious Reformers challenged all these centuries back.

But ‘power’, once acquired, is rarely returned.

Against this, there are those who would protest against our laws being crafted by some foreign power, beyond the control of our own elected Parliament. All of which teaches that we forget our history at our peril !

Jim Gibson

Membership continues to increase at Allovus as the session of activities and fun brings folks together without any pressure or obligation.

Already our programme has brought us really interesting speakers with topics ranging from the work of the Police to the history of the Central Hotel in Glasgow. The Minister gave us a really fascinating tour of the church and we enjoyed raising 244 at our very successful Bring ‘n’ Buy sale.

We now look forward to a talk by Ian McKellar on a past local worthy, Dr Dixon before we celebrate Christmas with Luncheon and happy times. Come and join us. First and third Thursdays of the month at 11.00am.

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF

BOTHWELL PARISH CHURCH

In spite of it being the September Weekend an encouraging number of the congregation participated in the founding meeting of the Society. After explaining the Society’s aims, the Minister gave out a membership leaflet. These continue to be returned and so membership is growing.

A managing committee will soon be formed and events for 2018 made known. Why not join and get involved ? Enjoy yourself while helping to safeguard your church.

BOTHWELL GUILD NEWS.

The new session of the Guild opened with the annual rededication, led by the Minister. This was followed by a welcome social and the hall resonated with laughter and chat as we reconnected after the summer break and got to know more new friends. We held an afternoon tea in September at which Mark Bambrough, stained glass artist, spoke about his work creating the Chalmers’ window in the main hall and explained something of its historical and cultural content. This happy afternoon raised the wonderful sum of £920 for our charities and we would like to thank all those who supported the event in any way at all. Playlist for Life is a charity set up by Sally Magnusson following the death of her mother from dementia. She had discovered the positive impact of personal meaningful music sustained by her mother who almost came to life, finding words thought lost to her through the playing of favourite songs and other music. Andy Lowndes, Vice Chair of the charity, spoke passionately, and with humour, of the work of PFL as they try to reach as many dementia patients and their carers as possible. Here at Bothwell Church, we launch a Dementia Café in February and plan to adopt Playlist for Life by becoming a ‘hub’.

Meetings planned: 30/10/17 Prospects – All Friends Together 13/11/17 **The Raith Development with Graeme Reid** 27/11/17 Bosnia Revisited – The Revd Jim Gibson 11/12/17 Christmas Party – food, fun and friends!

All at 7.30pm in the Church Centre – NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME!

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE OPEN TO FRIENDS IN THE CONGREGATION AND THE COMMUNITY. ENTRY, HOWEVER, IS STRICTLY BY TICKET (FREE!) WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE AND ON SUNDAYS**

2017 Christmas Hamper

During the weeks of Advent as we run-up to Christmas tickets will be on sale for our annual

LUXURY CHRISTMAS HAMPER

Filled with lots and lots of exciting, scrumptious things to ensure the lucky winner enjoys a very special time indeed.

As usual, the value of the Hamper (excluding wine) is £100.

Tickets can be bought on Sundays within the church Centre

OR from the church Office.

£5.00 each strip.

2nd & 3rd Prizes being drawn also.

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Ever wished you had an opportunity to sit down and discuss what religious faith is actually all about ? Christianity in particular ? Well, the opportunity is yours! Just tell Sandra, in the church office, and she will include you in our next ‘conversation group’ due to meet at the beginning of March. It’s so simple. No hassle. No embarrassment. Go on! Take the opportunity when you are offered.

Statement of Purpose

Bothwell Parish is a congregation of the Church of Scotland and is part of the worldwide family of people belonging to the Christian Faith, worshipping God through Jesus Christ. In to the love of God for all, we seek to serve our community through worship, friendship, care and education; and to promote Christian values of concern for others, forgiveness, healing and justice.

CHURCH REGISTER Baptisms: August 27th Brody Anderson White, son of Mr and Mrs Thomas White, 22 Osprey Lane, Hamilton. September 10th Sarah May Robertson, daughter of Mr and Mrs Steven Robertson, 3 Turnberry Wynd, Bothwell. 24th Charlotte Martha Deans (Blessing) daughter of Mr and Mrs Steven Deans, Old Coach House, Bothwell. Felicity Joan Deans, daughter of Mr and Mrs Steven Deans, Old Coach House, Bothwell. October 01st Lewis Henry Alexander Reid, son of Mr and Mrs Graeme Reid, 25 Colonsay, East Kilbride. Funerals: The Minister invites the prayers of the congregation for the family and friends of the following who recently received Christian funeral:

August Thomas Mahon, 9 Maxwell Avenue, Garrowhill, Glasgow. September Jim Freebairn, 33 Woodlands Crescent, Bothwell. Mrs Wilma Gilchrist, 9 North Deanpark Ave, Bothwell. October Mrs Elizabeth Findlay, 10 Clyde Avenue, Bothwell. New Members: The Kirk Session offers a warm welcome to the following recently admitted to membership of the Church at Bothwell:

From the Organist’s Bench CONGRATULATIONS

to our worthy winners of the 2017 Car Treasure Hunt

Norrie & Jessie McPherson.

As always, a great deal of fun was shared as eleven car-loads of Treasure Hunters scoured the highways and bye-ways of deepest Lanarkshire taking ‘selfies’ and counting road sign ‘arrows’; all the while trying not to be too obvious to bemused householders and passing travellers.

Back at the church Centre, hospitality welcomed our adventurers and prizes awarded.

Our thanks to Jim and Nan Carson, and friends, for their preparations and faultless organisation.

Roll-on next year!

Since Phil Hotham relocated south at the end of August, the Kirk Session appointed a committee comprising of the Minister, Session Clerk and Mrs Dorothy-Anne Ardrey (representing the church choir) to nominate a suitable replacement.

A detailed Job Description has been drawn up and placed on the church web-site. Adverts have been placed with the Glasgow, Borders and Edinburgh organist society es as well as at the music departments of Glasgow University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Hopefully, it may not be too long before we can give a warm welcome to the successful candidate.

Meantime, we are very grateful to Mr Philip Fox for acting as Locum. Philip has deputised on a number of occasions and knows our liturgical requirements well.

Where have the Embroideries

gone ? The walls at the church Crossing do look strangely bare, it has to be admitted. Maybe that’s the reason for worshippers asking the question.

Thankfully, the answer can be readily given to dampen everyone’s anxiety.

The Bothwell Embroideries –as they are known—have been loaned by the Kirk Session to Glasgow Cathedral where they are a highlight of this year’s Cathedral Festival. They form the basis of a retrospective exhibition featuring the work of their designer and creator, Malcolm Lochhead, emeritus professor of design at Caledonian University.

The Embroideries are greatly admired by visitors to the church and, once the exhibition closes, we look forward to having them back in place.

Church Flowers

Crossing War Memorial November: 05th. H Bryce A Freeland 12th J Lee E Somerville 19th A Hepburn D Gibson 26th T Abercromby S Smith

December: 03rd J Dalziel V Crate 10th M Greenshields U McLundie 17th D Craig M Jack 24th J Lewis S Frew 31st Flower Committee.

January 2018: 07th M Mitchell J Gordon 14th N Robertson A McMillan 21st A Sharp N Struthers 28th J McDougall A McQueen

February: 04th E Terrace E Smith 11th M Williamson E Cole 18th N Carson V Pringle 25th I & M Wilson J Ferrell

March: 04th B Sinclair T Abercromby 11th I Gilmour C-A Cahill

18th J Smart D-A Ardrey 25th T Hogg A Freeland

Sunday Church Welcome Rota Officebearers should please report for duty at 9.45am.

Sunday Crèche

November: 05th E Easton A Hepburn 12th E Barr E Terrace 19th E French N Carson 26th J Robertson M Donnelly

December: 03rd J Provan J Craig 10th P Maxwell G Ormiston 17th S Smith E Easton 24th A Hepburn E Barr 31st No Creche

January 2018: 07th E Terrace E French 14th N Carson M Donnelly 21st J Provan J Robertson 28th J Craig P Maxwell

February: 04th G Ormiston S Smith 11th E Easton A Hepburn 18th E Barr E Terrace 25th E French N Carson

March: 04th M Donnelly J Provan 11th J Robertson J Craig 18th P Maxwell G Ormiston 25th S Smith E Easton

NOVEMBER : DECEMBER: 05. Communion Arrangements. 03. H Duddy B Gillespie K Hamilton S Greenshields 12. E Barr J Carson N Carson E Buttery 10. BB Company 19. S Cook D Craig J Crichton S Crichton 17. H Gilmour J Gilmour J Hart I Henderson 26 J Cumming J Daziel E Dempsey M Dobie 24. J Henry D Hepburn D Craig M Jack 31. D Lee H Marsh J Marsh G Moore JANUARY 2018: FEBRUARY: 07. B Moyes G Orimiston J Provan J Provan 04. S Cook D Craig J Crichton S Crichton 14. R Parsons B Sharp S Smith E Somerville 11. J Cumming J Daziel E Dempsey M Dobie 21. E Terrace B Thomson G Whitton A Wilson 18. H Duddy B Gillespie K Hamilton S Greenshields 28. E Barr J Carson N Carson E Buttery 25. H Gilmour J Gilmour J Hart I Henderson MARCH: 04. J Henry D Hepburn M Jack D Lee 11. H Marsh J Marsh G Moore B Mo

Coffee Rota

NOVEMBER: DECEMBER: JANUARY 2018: 05 Mrs A Thomson 03 Parson & Wilson families 07 Ormiston family

12 Mrs S Crichton 10 BB Company 14 Mrs C Cahill & family 19 Frews & Hepburns 17 Mrs N Carson 21 Mrs J Craig 26 Guild Week 24 Mrs E Buttery 28 Mrs J Hamilton 31 Ormiston family

FEBRUARY: MARCH: 04 Mrs A Thomson 04 Parson & Wilson families 11 Frew & Hepburn families 11 Mrs E Buttery

18 Mrs S Crichton 18 Ormiston family 25 Mrs N Carson 25 Mrs E Dempsey

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Have Your Details

Changed ?

If you have moved house recently or

know of any forthcoming changes, please

let the church Office know either

by telephoning 854903

or sending an email

to Bothwellparishoffice

@btconnect.com

Remembrance Sunday will be

observed on NOVEMBER 12th. Our Morning Worship begins slightly earlier than usual at 10.45am to allow for our keep-ing the Silence at 11 o’clock. As usual, local youth organisations will be represent-ed along with other community groups. Please do come early to ensure yourself a seat. Following worship, wreathes will be laid at the War Memorial along Main Street. If you would like to lay a wreath please bring it along with you and let the Minister know before the ceremony begins.

Church Ceilidh 2017

Saturday November 11

7.30pm

with

JIM CARSON & FRIENDS

Tickets from church Office

£15 incl Fish & Chips

SUNDAY CLUBS

Members of the Sunday Clubs meet in the church Centre at 10.15am so we can come into church together in time for the service.

When we leave the church we go into our various sections (depending on numbers attending) and enjoy our day’s various activities ranging from acting our a short drama, listening to a story, making a poster, colouring a picture or singing a song or two; while our teenagers do some serious thinking! All in all, loads of fun for everyone (including adults).

This year we were pleased to display not one but two scarecrows during the festival. Now, we face the run-up to Christmas—always a busy time for us. The following dates are important:

Dec 10—Gifts received at Tree Dec 17— Christmas Nativity.

January 7—Christingle Service

Members of RSCM’s ‘Scottish Voices’ couldn’t resist rehearsing within the newly restored (still separated) Quire during their visit in September 2016. Look closely, a well kent face might be spotted!

How lucky are we ?

On SATURDAY, 17 FEBRUARY

Members of the Royal School of Church Music’s

SCOTTISH VOICES

return to

Bothwell Parish Church to sing

CHORAL EVENSONG.

Entry is free.

Not to be missed !

For Reflection

Within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude toward individuals. The person who hates you most has some good in them; even the nation who hates you most has some good in it; even the race that hates you most has some good in it. And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every person and see deep down within what religion calls ‘the image of God’, you begin to love in spite of. No matter what the person does, you see God’s image there.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr 1957.

December 3rd. First Sunday in Advent. Sacrament of Baptism. Farewell to Probationer Assistant Mrs Hanna Rankine Service followed by Holy Communion.

December 10th. Children bring Gifts for the Homeless to lay at Church Christmas Tree.

December 17th. Children’s Nativity in church. December 24th. 10.30am. Worship for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. 11.30pm. Christmas Eve service. December 25th. 10.30am. Christmas Day Family Service with Communion. (Children invited to bring a newly-received toy) January 7th. 10.30am. Worship for Sunday after Epiphany. 5.30pm. Children’s Christingle service.

CChristmas & New Year Services

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Following meetings held with both the South Lanarkshire Council’s Director of Social Work and specialist members of the Social work department, the Kirk Session recently gave full approval and support to a report made by the Minister into the possible establishment of a Dementia Café to be held within the church Centre on a regular basis.

The Café will welcome both Dementia sufferers and their carers.

Currently, it is thought there are approximately 850,000 people suffering Dementia throughout the UK. This is forecast to increase to 2 million by 2051. As a church, we cannot pretend to be oblivious to this situation.

Already, a small team of volunteers with appropriate skills have been identified from within the congregation and over coming weeks they will undertake special training from Alzheimer Scotland.

It is intended that the Café will welcome its first guests late February 2018 and, in the first instance, will meet monthly thereafter.

ALL people suffering from Dementia AND their carers will be welcome.

This is an exciting venture for us to undertake and a huge opportunity for the congregation to reach out to those living in our community and beyond in a way that can offer often desperate people an hour or two of relaxation, enjoyment and company.

A church congregation ought to be a community which takes seriously the challenge of caring for each other and, especially, people in need. It’s a job in which many of us can participate for there are many ways in which we can all show our concern for another. During the coming months, the Kirk Session will be asked to consider other initiatives in pastoral care which can have an immediate and important impact on enhancing the quality of people’s life.

PLEASE, if you would like further information about these initiatives

OR feel you would like to participate in helping

CONTACT the church Office—854903

bothwellparishoffice@btconnect.com and

let us know.

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW

Minister Revd J M Gibson 4 Manse Avenue 853189

Session Clerk David Craig 23 Reen Place 854903

Treasurer Jim Provan 5 Sth Deanpark Av. 854903

Gift Aid Donald Lee 3 Carnoustie Court 854903

Roll Keeper Church Secretary Church Office 854903

Property Ken Hamilton 6 Coleridge Avenue 854903

Organist & Director of Music Philip Hotham (Please consult at church)

Presbytery Margaret Hutchison 2 Clyde Avenue 854903

Crèche Nan Carson 88 Shelley Drive 854903

Sunday Clubs (Pre-school and Primary) The Minister Church Office 854903

ACTs (Teens) Rhona Armes-Martin Church Office 854903

BB Coy. Robin McLean Church Office 854903

Allovus Anne McMillan 54 Baillie Drive 854903 The Guild Doreen Gibson 4 Manse Avenue 853189

Church Centre Management Margaret Dobie Hamilton 854903 Church Centre 854987.

Kirk Session gives full support to opening of DEMENTIA CAFÉ

Scottish MPs have been given an insight into the kind of society that Church of Scotland members would like to live in. Representatives of the Church of Scotland Church & Society Council spent two days in October meeting cross-party politicians at Westminster to discuss ways of improving life for people on the margins. Discussions centred on community spirit and cohesion and, in par-ticular, on more practical aspects such as housing, social security, gender justice, homelessness and the justice system.

Researchers working on a new book about Scottish soldiers who travelled through London to fight in WW1 have launched an appeal to find their descendants. The congregation of St Columba’s Knightsbridge cared for some 50,000 soldiers on their way back from the battlefields of Europe or returning from leave between 1914-18. Elders at the church plan to include any new information of the previously untold story in a new book about Scots in London.

Vision for a better society shared with MPs

Church in war hero story hunt for new book

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A Short History of Bothwell

Continuing the instalments of the notes prepared by the late Rev. S. J. Hamilton, B.A., on the history of the parish.

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A New Way to Receive Your Magazine?

Did you know that the magazine can be found on our Church website?

http://bothwellparishchurch.org.uk/category/magazine

By reading your magazine on-line via laptops, Kindles, tablets and i-phones, and not receiving a paper copy, you would be helping the Church to contin-ue to develop as an eco-congregation and you would also be helping us to save money in printing costs.

If you decide this is an option for you, please send an e-mail to the office bothwellparishoffice@btconnect.com detailing your name and address, to allow us to make adjustments to the number of copies printed.

John Crichton Session Clerk

Part 2 of 2

The Reverend Gavin Hamilton, minister of Bothwell enjoyed an interesting and successful career. The second son of John Hamilton of Orbiston, who fell at Langside fighting for Queen Mary, he was born about 1561 and educated at the university of St Andrews where he graduated Master of Arts in 1584. Six years later he became minister of the Second Charge, Hamilton. Translated to Bothwell in 1594, he returned after a decade to his former parish where he ministered in the First Charge. Apparently one of the king’s ‘led horses’ he was appointed by James VI to the temporalities (properties and revenues) of the old bishopric of Galloway, with the priory of Whithorn and the abbeys of Glenluce and Dundrennan. A year later, he became Dean of the Chapel Royal and ‘constant’ moderator of the presebytery of Kirkcudbright. The climax of his career was reached in 1610 when, on the 21st October, he was consecrated in London to the see of Galloway. It is interesting to note that, at this ceremony, he was not re-ordained, Presbyterian ordination being then recognised by the Church of England. He died in February 1612. His wife was Alison, eldest daughter of James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, who bore him five children, one of whom married John Campbell, bishop of Argyll.

Like his predecessor at Bothwell, he was a man of some weight and standing in the ecclesiastical councils of the realm; and while still minister at Both-well he had several important duties to perform outwith his parish. On 26th June 1595, he was appointed by the General Assembly to give information against such of the brethren as had ‘dilapidated’ their benefices in the bounds of Clydesdale, Renfrew, Lennox and Dumbarton and was one of the commissioners chosen by the Assembly for constituting an interim ‘platt’ for the same bounds. By the Assemblies of 1598, 1600 and 1601 he was empow-ered, with others, to plant such kirks in burgh-towns as are destitute and on 16th May 1601 was appointed, with others, for trial of the brethren in the bounds of

Irvine and Ayr.

All that said, one point must be noted which does not seem to redound to his credit as far as the temporalities of the parish are concerned.

The following particulars would make it obvious he had something to do with the alienation of the church lands and property at Bothwell. In 1604, with the consent of Sir Walter Scott of Branxholm , then patron of the parish, he granted to his brother, John Hamilton of Orbiston in fee-farm and heritage: 1 the whole of ten pound lands of Orbiston and the manor-place, with the houses, yards, orchards and fishings –along with the tithes of the same, 2 the lands of Carnbrew, Unthank, Stevenson, Alderstoun, Carfin, Jervie-stoun, Riccart-Johnstoun and Kirklee in the barony of Bothwell, 3 the mill of Orbiston, 4 the nether mill of Orbiston on the Calder, 5 the church lands of Bothwell with the houses, gardens and pertinents reserving, however, to the provost and his successors , serving the cure of Bothwell, a reasonable glebe of four acres of the said church lands, with the mansion, gardens and other premises which were then occupied by the provost.

As minister of Bothwell, Gavin Ham-ilton’s stipend was ‘the hail dewtie of the prowestrie of Bothwell £222, with the vicarage £6 13s 4d’ (Scots) - a total of £19 1s 2d (Sterling). At times, he seems to have been responsible for paying the stipend of the minister of Shotts.